Marshmallowed

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i guess being realistic is more important than anything else. and that in this last lap, one should do everything to keep yourself positive and upbeat, mind filled with possibilities of what can be. yup. possibilities:) but i found that a little difficult to do mainly because going to school unavoidably can mean getting put down, dampened, or merely, emotional. now that school is over, and all that is between me and IB exams are 20 days and a lot of hours in the study room at the community center, i am alot happier. it's nice to be away from all the stress i feel in school, even though it may or may not be intentional- i feel like i've grown more short tempered than ever. not snapping at people or anything though, cos i can at least keep that to myself and stay nice, like who i really am.

they said that they never meant to compare, but isn't that all we really do? compare it to last year's cohort. compare it to the level msg. compare it to class msg. compare it to your previous set of grades. not exactly hidden isn't it? comparison can serve as a wake up call- i got that a long time ago, thank you VERY MUCH- but it can also make people worry unnecessarily and think too much, and end up getting distracted from what they are supposed to do. i strongly feel that comparison ought to be stopped. children should not be made to feel that they are inferior to others because they have 10 less marks in all their subjects from their friends, neither should they be made to feel apologetic for the good grades they have gotten, that they don't deserve it. i now see the allure of homeschooling. does the pros of retaining your self-confidence and esteem outweigh the benefits of school in developing social and other holistic skills?

i've met teachers who made every student feel like they can, like they are his/her best students. my higher mother tongue teacher never compares us with the rest of the class- she consults with us individually, and charts our journey of improvement with our past grades. that is what should be implemented across the boards. god knows how much students can improve when they feel that they have the ability to do well. teachers who pick on the weaker students in class, or in the other extremity, ignore them might do that because

1) they want to keep the student on his/her feet and hence, study hard at home before going for class

2) they want to protect the student from the embarrassment of not knowing the answer and feeling awkward in class.

indeed, the intentions were honorable, but the effects of such actions are often the reverse of how they intend for it to be. they might not know it, and they might never know it, because which smart student would actually confront his/her teacher, especially when they themselves are not doing as well as expected of them in that subject? i'm not claiming that this does not work, but what is the percentage of success in such a course of action? if the probability of it succeeding is less than say, 0.8, then what is the point of adopting such course of actions when you destroy more than you help?

i might have rambled a little, but after being in the education system since i was three, i think the experience i have had speaks volume. i considered being a teacher after thinking about it a lot and coming up with these points and more- i want to help children be proud of who they are, and their abilities. to score children with their academic intelligence in this day and age might work now, and had worked for the past few decades, but will it work, by itself, in the future? yes, the emphasis on such is correct. but more recognition should be given to their co-curricular and their interests/hobbies too, not just a CCA certificate and a personal statement.

when you look at a child who is struggling, you might see a child who is destined to be an employee instead of employer, who will stay in a HDB flat rather than a condo, who will go to poly instead of a JC- but all of those are just prejudices.

when you are a teacher, and you look at a child who is struggling, you can see a child who is willing to work ten times harder to make up for the lack of talent, who will one day find out what he is great at where others are mediocre, that wherever he goes, no matter what educational route he takes, he will end up contributing to the society he lives in. when you are a teacher, you look beyond prejudices- you uncover potential.

i'm not spreading propaganda or anything else, whatsoever, but i'm writing how i really feel about this:) i am entitled to my own opinion.